Vettel's hopes of regaining title lead wrecked in Singapore GP crash

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Sebastian Vettel may well come to rue the errant turn of the steering wheel that triggered the first-corner collision taking the German out of the Singapore Grand Prix and wrecking his hopes of regaining the overall championship lead.

Starting from pole with title-rival Hamilton only fifth, the Ferrari driver was ideally placed to re-take the overall lead he had conceded to the Briton at the last race at Italy’s Monza.

Instead, he dropped to 28 points behind Mercedes’ triple champion with six of the 20 races still to go.

Vettel made a clean, if slow, getaway off the rain-drenched grid.

He veered left to cover off Red Bull’s Max Verstappen who had started alongside on the front row.

The Dutchman took evasive action but made contact with Kimi Raikkonen’s fast-starting Ferrari, sending it spearing into the side of the other Ferrari.

Vettel continued with a damaged car but then spun into the wall after turn three in an impact that removed the front wing and nose.